Reclining-chair.



PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

H. J. LANAGAN.

REGLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION IlLED JULY 26, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Attorneys.

PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

H. J. LANAGAN.

REGLINING CHAIR.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 26, 1905.

ln ventor,

Attorneys.

UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed July 26, 1905- Serial No. 271,320.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J. LANAGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Reclining-Chair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to reclining chairs, and more particularly to that class havin a back adapted to assume any desired ang e of inclination relatively to the seat and independently thereof, the back being so connectedwith the chair as to permit movementsthrough a prescribed are without imparting horizontal or upward movements to the seat.

The object of the present invention is to improve the manner in which the back is combined with the seat-frame for swingin movements independently of the seat and the manner in which the back is combined with the seat-frame whereby the former may be detached at will Without the. necessity of loosening bolts or screws for the purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a reclining-chair, as will be hereinafter fully dejshclrililed and claimed.

t e acoompanyin drawin s, formin a part of this specificati in, and in which li ke characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a chair embodying the improvements of the present invention, the seat being removed and part of the framework being broken away to exhibit the arrangement of the in ternal mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section. view exhibiting the manner in which the back is combined with the frame.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the front legs; 2, the rear legs; 3, 4, 5, and 6, the seatframe members; 7, the arms; 8, the back, and 9 the seat. These parts may be of the usual or any preferred construction, and therefore need no detailed description.

The gist of the present invention resides in the manner in which the back is connected for swin ing movements with the seat-frame indepen ently of the seat. This part of the invention is secured by the provision of a sliding frame comprisin a pair of slide-bars 10, which are connecte and rendered rigid by cross-bars 11, of which there are two shown Fig. 3 is a detail in this instance, although this number may be increased, if found necessary or desirable.

The slide-bars are supported for longitudinal Secured to the frame member 6 is the cylinder 14 of an air-buffer, the piston-rod 15 of which is provided at its free end with an eye 16, that engages a pin or bolt 17, projecting through the cross-bar 11. The frame member 6 also has securedto it an eye 18, with which connects a hook formed on one end of a coiled spring 19, the other end of which is provided with a hook that engages a screw eye or bolt 20, also carried by the front crossbar 11. From this arrangement it will be seen that when the back is forced backward the sliding frame is moved and is resisted in this movement by the spring 19, so that the natural tendency would be when pressure is removed from the back for it violently to resume its normal position; but this is prevented by the air-buffer, which operates in the usual manner to such devices to cushion the frame, and thus prevent any jar or impact between it and the seat-frame.

The back8 is combined with the legs 2 by means of pintles 21, secured to the back members and engaging approximately U-shaped bearings or seats 22 in the inner side of the said legs, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the shape of the seats being such as to prevent the disconnection of the pintles therefrom when the back is moved to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, under which conditions the pintles ride up the seats, but will not become disconnected therefrom unless the spring 19 be disconnected either from the screw-eye 18 or the similar member 20.

The means for imparting forward movement to the sliding frame when the back is tilted consists of two metallic arms 23, which are rigidly secured to the side members of the back and project downward to a point about midway of the height of the slide-bars 10,

where they connect with two links 24, pivotally connected at 25 to the outer sides of the slide-bars. It will be seen from this arrangement that when the back is tilted there will be a direct forward thrust imparted to the links 24, which will operate to move the sliding frame forward as far as may be desired, the frame member 4 serving to limit its outward movement. As soon as the occupant back will immediately return to its normal position due. to the action of the spring 19.

I The seat 9, to which reference has been made, is of the usual or any preferred construction and is supported at its front and rear upon the frame members 4 and 6 and as the slide bars 10 are not of sufficient height to contact with the under sides of the seat it will be seen that there will be no interference between these parts. The seat has combined with it an extensible foot-rest 26, which 7 is housed within the seat and may be brought out when its use is desired; but when not in use it is housed within the seat and the opening through which it works is covered by a padded flap 27, forming a convenient legrest.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the improvements herein defined while simple in character will be found thoroughly effective for the purpose designed and may be readily applied to an ordinary make of reclining-chairs of this character without requiring any extended change in their structural arrangement.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is l. The combination with the side members of a seat-frame adapted to support a seat, of

' guide-bars secured to the members, a sliding frame superposed upon the bars and disposed belowthe upper edges of the seat-frame, retracting and cushionin mechanisms operatively connected with t e sliding frame, and a back pivotally connected with the seatframe and with thesliding frame.

2. The combination with the side members of a seat-frame, of guide-bars secured tothe inner sides thereof, a sliding frame mounted upon the bars and disposed below the upper edges of the side members, retracting and cushioning mechanisms operatively connected with the sliding frame, a back detachably combined with-the seat-frame, links pivotally connected with the slide-bars, and arms rigid with the backyand connectedwith the links.

3. In a "chair, the combination with the rear legs having curved bearings, of a back having pintl'es to engage the bearings, a seatframe adapted to-support a seat, guide-bars secured to the inner faces of the seat-frame, a sliding frame mounted upon the guide-bars, and cushioning and retracting mechanisms connecting the seat-frame and the sliding frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses;

HENRY .J. LANAGAN.

Witnesses:

MARGARET D DUFFY, A. L. SCHUYLEIL. 

